Background: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training can help libraries educate staff, destigmatize mental illness, and provide de-escalation techniques to better meet their community’s needs. MHFA is the gold standard among mental health trainings because it's the most comprehensive training, requires a certified instructor, and involves a minimum of eight hours of training. This talk will provide a detailed description of the process for how MHFA training was implemented in the University of Iowa’s library system so that others may borrow this model, as well as highlight the benefits of the training.
Description: MHFA training was successfully implemented at the University of Iowa’s (UI) Libraries in the summer of 2023. This presentation will cover the entire process of how UI libraries successfully implemented voluntary MHFA training for all library staff; it was offered to all library workers, public-facing as well as technical services staff. It will discuss the collaboration involved and how the author worked with the UI library system’s Human Resources Director, the UI library system's Interim Director of DEAI, and partnered with an outside certified MHFA instructor. Included in the presentation are elements such as the initial interest survey, getting help LibGuides, marketing and promotion, as well as the impacts of the program. Obtaining funding for the training will be discussed since one of the biggest challenges to providing MHFA training can be the price tag.
Conclusion: Our first MHFA training was extremely well received. University of Iowa’s Library Staff appreciated that MHFA training helps raise awareness about mental health challenges, reduces stigma, and equips individuals with the skills to support others who may be experiencing mental health challenges. Additionally, MHFA training provides a safe space for discussions about mental health and enhances the overall mental health literacy and wellbeing of the UI libraries.